Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA)
U.S. law making it illegal to discriminate when giving credit based on factors such as race, religion, color, age, national origin. A lender must respond to credit applications within 30 days. If the application is denied, reasons must be given. The purpose of this law was to assure that lenders would not treat one group of applicants more favorably then other group except for reasonable and justifiable business reasons. Strict rules have in all aspects of a credit transaction including that dealing with the purchase or real estate.
Popular Real Estate Terms
An interim or provisional court decree, which is not final and can be reversed or amended, normally issued to direct additional proceedings prior to issuing a final decree. For example, an ...
Interest a person pays before it is actually incurred. An example is a one year's interest that a borrower agrees to pay in advance to a bank on a mortgage. This rarely occurs. ...
Percentage of rental property that is unoccupied. For example, a vacancy rate of 25% means that 25% of the rental unites are nor being used. Idle space can cause a significant cash drain ...
Typically, the legal term attachment refers to seizing a person’s property, being charged with debt, and giving it to the wronged creditor until the process is in motion. Attachment ...
Latin term meaning let the buyer beware. The buyer purchases at his or her risk, in the absence of fraud. This does not obligate the seller to volunteer information. However, legal statutes ...
Uncertainties associated with real property including lack of insurance coverage in the event of fire or injury, high crime area, and environmental problems. This risk may be reduced ...
Provision in a loan agreement where a debtor authorizes a judgment against him in the event of a default. These agreements are widely restricted, but when they are lawful, the creditor is ...
Rule stating that the monthly mortgage payment, property taxes, and insurance should not exceed 25% of a family's monthly gross income, or about 35% for a Federal Housing Administration ...
A correlation defines how two variables relate to one another. We can confirm a correlation if an alteration in one variable can change the other’s behavior. Using quantifiable data ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.